Scryway

Hexagram 54

歸妹 Guī Mèi · The marrying maiden

Legge: Kwei Mei

☳ Thunder (Zhèn) above ☱ Lake (Duì)

Scryway summary

Modern commentary written for Scryway. Not part of the classic text.

Entering a situation in a subordinate or unequal position. Mind your expectations and the long view.

The judgment

Kwei Mei indicates that (under the conditions which it denotes) action will be evil, and in no wise advantageous.

The image

(The trigram representing the waters of) a marsh and over it that for thunder form Kwei Mei. The superior man, in accordance with this, having regard to the far-distant end, knows the mischief (that may be done at the beginning).

The lines, bottom to top

  1. Bottom line, solid

    The first line, undivided, shows the younger sister married off in a position ancillary to the real wife. (It suggests the idea of) a person lame on one leg who yet manages to tramp along. Going forward will be fortunate.

  2. Second line, solid

    The second line, undivided, shows her blind of one eye, and yet able to see. There will be advantage in her maintaining the firm correctness of a solitary widow.

  3. Third line, broken

    The third line, divided, shows the younger sister who was to be married off in a mean position. She returns and accepts an ancillary position.

  4. Fourth line, solid

    The fourth line, undivided, shows the younger sister who is to be married off protracting the time. She may be late in being married, but the time will come.

  5. Fifth line, broken

    The fifth line, divided, reminds us of the marrying of the younger sister of (king) Ti-yi, when the sleeves of her the princess were not equal to those of the (still) younger sister who accompanied her in an inferior capacity. (The case suggests the thought of) the moon almost full. There will be good fortune.

  6. Top line, broken

    The sixth line, divided, shows the young lady bearing the basket, but without anything in it, and the gentleman slaughtering the sheep, but without blood flowing from it. There will be no advantage in any way.

Quoted from James Legge (trans.), The Yi King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1882. Public domain. The image is from Legge’s Appendix II. Words in parentheses are Legge’s additions.